The island
This work was created through a process that embraced chance, reminiscent of play and divination.
I first drew a figure composed of twelve arcs on paper, then prepared twelve iron cubes and twelve iron cylinders, each numbered from 1 to 12 on the reverse side, and scattered them across the diagram. Where the numbers overlapped, I connected the points with lines, using this chance-generated map as the basis for the sculpture. The dispersed iron pieces resembled a map, while the resulting structure evoked an island.
The word “island” refers not only to land surrounded by water, but also to utopias and imagined paradises. In Japanese gardens, stones are often used to symbolize islands. As a child, I also recall drawing circles on the ground and calling them islands. To me, an island is not a fixed territory but an abstract frame of imagination.
Materials:
2022.10.7 #01 Iron
2022.10.7 #02 Silver print
Dimensions:
2022.10.7 #01 2680φ / approx. 2500mm (top view)
2022.10.7 #02 372mm × 314mm
Year: 2022–2023
Exhibition: The White, Tokyo
Photo: Ichisei Hiramatsu